Researchers at the University of Toronto have created a safe alternative to Teflon: a nonstick coating that does not contain dangerous “forever chemicals” (PFAS) that are resistant to breakdown and can harm the environment. The new material is based on PDMS—a silicone polymer already used in medicine in implants and contact lenses—and is modified using a new technology called “nanofletching.”
The team added tiny -CF3 groups to the PDMS molecules. These groups naturally migrate toward the surface of the material and form an ultrathin layer that repels both grease and water. The short-chain components are considered to be the least dangerous among the PFAS family: they are fully eliminated from the body, unlike conventional PFAS that can accumulate for years.
The coating still contains components from the PFAS class, but in much smaller amounts and in a less toxic form. This is described as a transitional step: the developers’ next goal is to create a coating with no fluorine-containing components at all—fully safe and able to break down.
